American politician
Martin Flint (January 12, 1782 – February 27, 1855) was a
Vermont political and military figure who served in the
Vermont House of Representatives and as
Adjutant General of the
Vermont Militia.
Early life
Martin Flint was born in
Hampton, Connecticut on January 12, 1782. He was three years old when is family moved to Vermont, and he completed only a limited education before the death of his father required him to take over operation of the family's
Randolph farm.
[1]
War of 1812
Flint helped to raise and equip a
militia company for the
War of 1812.
Lebbeus Egerton was the commander, and Flint was second in command with the rank of
First Lieutenant. Flint served in the
Defense of Plattsburgh during the British invasion.
[2]
[3]
Later career
In 1816 Flint lost the sight in his right eye as the result of a prolonged illness, but after his recovery he resumed management of his farm.
[4]
He was originally active in Vermont's
Masons, but in the 1830s he made a public renunciation of his Masonic membership and became a leader of the
Anti-Masonic Party.
[5]
[6] From 1831 to 1835 he served as an Anti-Mason in the Vermont House of Representatives,
[7] and in 1836 he was a member of the Governor's Council.
[8]
In 1836 Flint was also an unsuccessful candidate for the
United States House of Representatives, losing the 3rd District election to
Horace Everett, the
Whig and
Alden Partridge running as a
Democrat.
[9]
Flint maintained his membership in the militia, and advanced to the rank of
Major.
[10] In 1833 he succeeded
Isaac Fletcher as adjutant general.
[11]
[12] He was succeeded in 1837 by
Frederic Williams Hopkins.
[13]
[14]
In 1839 Flint was elected Sheriff of
Orange County, but declined the office.
[15]
From 1841 to 1844 he served as
Orange County
Assistant Judge.
[16]
Death and burial
Flint continued to operate his farm into the 1850s. In his later years his health declined, and he sometimes suffered from dementia.
[17] He died in Randolph on February 27, 1855, and was buried in Randolph Center Cemetery.
[18]
[19]
Family
Martin Flint was married twice. His first wife was Chloe Burnett (1774-1811). After her death he married Asenath Morse (1784-1874). Asenath Morse was a niece of
Dudley Chase and
Philander Chase, and a cousin of
Salmon P. Chase.
[20]
Flint had seven children, three with Chloe and four with Asenath. They included:
- Martin M. Flint (1816-1897), a
Norwich University graduate who was an officer in the
40th and 60th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry regiments during the
American Civil War, and later farmed in
California and
Kansas;
[21] Martin Monroe Flint was married to Eliza Chase, a granddaughter of Philander Chase.
[22]
- John Morse Flint (1822-1895), a teacher and school superintendent who later relocated to
Wisconsin and served in the
Wisconsin State Assembly.
[23]
References
-
^ Edwin Waldo Flint,
The Flint Heritage: Wales to Iowa, 1984, page 52
-
^ E. P. Walton,
Records of the Governor and Council of the State of Vermont, 1880, page 216
-
^ National Genealogical Society,
National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Volumes 7-9, 1922, pages 6-7
-
^ Edwin Waldo Flint, The Flint Heritage, page 52
-
^
Abby Maria Hemenway,
The Vermont Historical Gazetteer, Volume 2, 1871, page 1060
-
^ The Christian's Magazine,
Solemn Declarations of Seceding Masons, September, 1810, page 24
-
^ Leonard Deming,
Catalogue of the Principal Officers of Vermont, 1851, pages 55-56
-
^ E. P. Walton,
Vermont Year Book, Formerly Walton's Register, 1836, page 99
-
^ Horace Greeley, Park Benjamin, editors,
The New Yorker, September 17, 1836
-
^ Ethan Smith,
An Abstract of the Proceedings of the Massachusetts Anti-Masonic State Convention, 1830, page 3
-
^ Peter Haraty, editor,
Put the Vermonters Ahead: A History of the Vermont National Guard, 1764-1978, 1978, page 72
-
^ Vermont General Assembly,
Journal of the House OF Representatives of the State of Vermont, 1837, page 105
-
^ Vermont Adjutant General,
Annual Report, 1955, page 2
-
^ Peter H. Haraty, editor,
Put the Vermonters Ahead: A History of the Vermont National Guard, 1764-1978, 1978, page 72
-
^ Vermont General Assembly,
Journal of the Vermont House of Reporesentatives, 1839, page 63
-
^ E. P. Walton, Records of the Governor and Council, page 216
-
^
Abby Maria Hemenway,
The Vermont Historical Gazetteer, Volume 2, 1871, page 1062
-
^ John H. Stone,
A Genealogical Register of the Descendants of Thomas Flint, 1860, page 103
-
^ Harriet M. Chase,
Randolph Center Cemetery Transcriptions: Flint - French, accessed August 19, 2013
-
^ Vermont Historical Society,
Morse Family Papers, 1796-1929, Introduction and Biographical Notes, 2011, page 1
-
^ William Arba Ellis,
Norwich University, 1819-1911; Her History, Her Graduates, Her Roll of Honor, Volume 2, 1911, page 112
-
^ William Arba Ellis,
Norwich University: Her History, Her Graduates, Her Roll of Honor, Volume 1, 1898, page 148
-
^ Edwin Waldo Flint, The Flint Heritage, page 54
External resources